2278

LAWS OF MARYLAND

Ch. 334

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments,

Article 78 - Public Service Commission Law

Section 68

Annotated Code of Maryland

(1980 Replacement Volume and 1983 Supplement)

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF
MARYLAND, That the Laws of Maryland read as follows:

Article 78 - Public Service Commission Law

68.

(a)  The Commission shall have the power to determine just
and reasonable rates of public service companies, whether as
maximum, minimum or maximum and minimum, respectively. The rates
so determined shall be fixed by order to be served upon each
public service company affected thereby.

(b)  The Commission may not authorize telephone company
charges to be levied for directory assistance calls made by
residential customers upon the first 12 calls made to directory
assistance from each residential service per monthly billing
cycle. The Commission may not authorize telephone company charges
to be levied for directory assistance upon any person or persons
who suffer from physical or visual handicaps which preclude their
use of telephone directories and it may provide other exemptions
which are just and reasonable.

(c)  (1) The Commission may not authorize any
[mandatory] telephone company charges based on a measured
time period unit rate for local messages.

(2)  Paragraph (1) of this subsection does not
preclude the Commission from any study or evaluation of mandatory
telephone company charges.

(3) IF THE COMMISSION AUTHORIZES ANY TELEPHONE
COMPANY TO OFFER TO RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS THE OPTION OF TELEPHONE
CHARGES BASED ON A MEASURED TIME PERIOD UNIT RATE FOR LOCAL
MESSAGES, THE COMMISSION SHALL ALSO REQUIRE THE TELEPHONE COMPANY
TO OFFER TO RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS:

(I) THE OPTION OF AN UNLIMITED NUMBER AND
DURATION OF LOCAL CALLS; AND

(II) THE OPTION OF A SPECIFIC CHARGE PER LOCAL
CALL, REGARDLESS OF THE DURATION OF THE LOCAL CALL.

(4) UNTIL JULY DECEMBER 1, 1985 A TELEPHONE COMPANY
MAY NOT REQUIRE THE PAYMENT OF AN ORDER PROCESSING CHARGE OR LINE
CHANGE CHARGE FOR A RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMER'S FIRST CHANGE TO ANY